Trees & Shrubs - Safe to Feed
Don’t feed Willow, Birch, Poplar, Alder or the herb Meadowsweet if your rabbit is on Metacam -
These plants contain salicin which is a precursor to Aspirin. In medical literature it is well documented that Aspirin interacts with NSAIDS including Meloxicam, altering its action and effectiveness. We have a duty of care to provide responsible dietary advice and to not promote the use of plants which have the potential to interact with a rabbit’s medical treatment and well being. The key word here is potential.
Some say that you would need to feed a huge amount of the plant for there to be any risk of interaction and that it is safe to feed them if your rabbit is on Metacam. This school of thought can also lead to people thinking that feeding unlimited amounts of these plants is absolutely safe and carries no risk - but interactions aside, a high intake of salicin can actually be toxic, damaging kidneys, causing stomach ulcers, diarrhoea, bleeding or digestive discomfort, hence our cautions.
In my mind, this is a risky and irresponsible attitude. Not enough is yet known about this and more studies need to be undertaken before it can be deemed 100% safe. There are different levels of salicin in different types of willow and whilst yes, the quantities would need to be significant, the amount consumed isn’t measured, so why ( if the rabbit is on Meloxicam) would you want to add more anti-inflammatory to the diet? Why risk an interaction when there are plenty of alternatives out there.
If you cannot find a tree in the gallery below, cross check with the Unsafe, Toxic & Poisonous Plants file
Trees - Specific Properties of Each Plant / Feeding Information
Italian Alder - Branches and leaves
Apple - All parts
Bamboo - Leaves only in moderation. See note below
Birch - Branches and leaves. Do not feed if rabbit is on Metacam
Buddleia - All parts in moderation. No nutritional value
Tree Lucerne / Tagastase - Branches and leaves. I’d not feed the seed pods. You can more about this tree here.
Fuchsia - All parts
Goat / Pussy Willow - All parts. Do not feed if rabbit is on Metacam
Hazel - Branches and leaves
Hibiscus - All parts
Hornbeam - Branches and leaves
Hawthorn Ornamental - Branches and leaves. Do not feed berries. Do not feed if rabbit is on heart medication.
Olive - Branches and leaves. Ok to offer but I’ve never found rabbits to be that interested
Blackberry - Branches and leaves. Fruit as a rare treat
Raspberry - Branches and leaves. Fruit as a rare treat
Crabapple - All parts
Hawthorn Common - Branches and leaves. Do not feed berries. Do not feed if rabbit is on heart medication.
Black Alder - Branches and leaves
Black / Red Currants and Gooseberry - Branches and leaves
Lacebark - All parts in moderation. See note below
Pear - Ornamental - Branches and leaves
Kawakawa - All parts. See note below
Mallow - All parts in moderation
Pear - Branches and leaves. Fruit as a rare treat
Ribbonwood - All parts. See note below
Rose - All parts except rose hips and tips of old/hard thorns
Willow, All types - All parts. Do not feed if rabbit is on Metacam.
Lavatera - All parts in moderation
Quince - Wood and leaves. I’d not feed the fruit.
Poplar / Populus - All parts. Do not feed if rabbit is on Metacam
Extra Notes
Tree Lucerne / Tagastase - wood and leaves.
Tree Lucerne and Lucerne/Alfalfa grass/hay are two distinct plants, but they do come from the same (general) family - the Pea family - Fabaceae. Tree Lucernce = Chamaecytisus proliferus var palmensis. Alfalfa/Lucerne = Medicago sativa. You can more about this tree here.
Lacebark / Hoheria - All parts in moderation.
Hoheria is from the Malvaceae/Mallow family of plants. This family includes the Mallows which are safe for buns to eat. Traditionally, Maori used Hoheria in a similar way to Mallow and it's main medicinal component is a beneficial form of mucilage. To date, I can find no reference or information in regard to toxicity so will cautiously conclude that Hoheria is a safe tree to allow your bun to have access to in moderation and as part of their general mixed feed and it should be safe to give branches for chewing on.
My rabbits find it unpalatable.
Ribbonwood / Plagianthus regius - All parts in moderation.
Ribbonwood also belongs to the Malvaceae/Mallow family. I've researched thoroughly and can find no mention of any toxicity issues, specific traditional medicinal uses or any mention of specific phytochemicals, so can only conclude that it is pretty innocuous. As to the safety of the wood for chewing or the leaves for eating, I feel I can give a cautiously guarded 'it SHOULD be ok'...
Bamboo - LEAVES ONLY - small amounts, rarely. Don’t give them the stems as they can splinter and the fibres can also lodge in the teeth.
Kawakawa - all parts. Limit to a couple of leaves per day as part of your rabbit’s daily mixed greens. See below for information about how to pick this without damaging the tree.
When picking Kawakawa never pick from the ends of the branches as this will stop the growth in that branch. This video explains and illustrates how and where to pick from - Harvesting and using Kawakawa. The pertinent information for picking is on the video from the 5.20 time stamp.
Specific medicinal properties of our native Kawakawa in relation to humans, are discussed here - Kawakawa Fact Sheet
Lichens on Branches ...
We recommend that you do not feed branches that have Lichen on them.
A significant number of lichens have been found to contain Mycrosystins. These are toxic to the liver, impairing its function which can ultimately lead to liver failure and death. Because
Identifying Lichens is something that even experts in the field can struggle with we - as lay people, cannot assume that we can safely identify which Lichens are toxic and which are not, so they are better avoided completely if possible or at the very least, remove as much of the Lichen as you can from any branches that you may feed.
The surprisingly toxic world of lichens
Cyanobacteria produce a high variety of hepatotoxic peptides in lichen symbiosis